On April 20, 1920, the American Legion Post No. 471 was organized in the Grundy County town of Dike with 16 charter members. The present legion building was purchased and renovated in 1929, with funds coming from the County Memorial Fund, a contribution from the town fire department, and a bond issue. In 1974, the building was remodeled and expanded; ten years later, the facility was turned over to the city and it is now known as the Dike Memorial Center.
American Legion Post No. 83 was founded in the Keokuk County town of Hedrick on June 30, 1919 with 15 charter members. A Woman’s Auxiliary Unit was established two years later. The current Legion building was constructed in 1957, almost entirely using volunteer labor. The Legion and Auxiliary are involved in many community events, but are perhaps best-known for their homemade ice cream, served from the Legion building during Hedrick’s annual Barbecue Days event.
Veterans in the Grundy County town of Reinbeck organized American Legion Post No. 242 on September 29, 1919, in the local Masonic Hall. Forty-two charter members established the group, which quickly became active in the community. In 1924, the post purchased flags to line the town’s Main Street. In 1929, the Legion contributed $4,000 for construction of an athletic field. In 1944, a fundraising drive began to construct a memorial building. After ten years, present Veteran’s Memorial Building was constructed and dedicated in 1954.
On March 18, 1919, the following notice appeared in the Bloomfield newspapers:
A committee of discharged soldiers and sailors who served the war against Germany asks that all Davis County men who have served in the army, navy or marine corps since April 6, 1917 meet at the K.P. Hall in Bloomfield on Thursday night of this week to form an organization… to promote patriotic enterprise, [form] a closer social relation among [service men], and assist [them] in securing employment in civil life.
The first national meeting of the American Legion was held in St. Louis in May 1919, with a Bloomfield post formally established with 122 charter members on June 24. Construction on a permanent home for the Legion began on December 21, 1924. The new facility was officially dedicated October 4, 1925.
A permanent charter was granted for an American Legion post in the Keokuk County town of Keswick on September 21, 1920, with 22 charter members. The first meetings were held in the I.O.O.F. Hall in Keswick before an old blacksmith shop was purchased in May 1956. The building was remodeled with volunteer help, and payments helped the group burn the mortgage by January 1964. Recent upgrades include an kitchen improvements, updated air conditioning, and new siding. Current members are from Keswick and the nearby towns of What Cheer, Thornburg, Gibson, Webster, and South English.